House Democrats Introduce Bill to Outlaw Presidential Self-Pardons, Criminalize Corrupt Acts of Clem [View all]

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Law and Crime


MATT NAHAM
Sep 23rd, 2020, 12:18 pm

House Democrats are pushing a bill which would criminalize corrupt pardons, outlaw presidential pardons, and prevent the president or vice president from using public office to run out the clock on the statute of limitations.

The bill, titled the Protecting Our Democracy Act, aims to criminalize the presidential pardon power when it is used for corrupt purposes by adding relevant language to the federal bribery statute. 18 U.S. Code § 201, which deals with bribery of public officials and witnesses, would amend the statute to add the words “including the President and the Vice President of the United States.” The statute would read as follows [emphasis added to new wording]:

(1) the term “public official” means Member of Congress, Delegate, or Resident Commissioner, either before or after such official has qualified, or an officer or employee or person, including the President and the Vice President of the United States, acting for or on behalf of the United States, or any department, agency or branch of Government thereof, including the District of Columbia, in any official function, under or by authority of any such department, agency, or branch of Government, or a juror […].

The president or vice president, being clearly lumped in to the definition of public official, would commit a federal crime if he or she “directly or indirectly, corruptly demands, seeks, receives, accepts, or agrees to receive or accept anything of value personally or for any other person or entity, in return for: (A) being influenced in the performance of any official act; (B) being influenced to commit or aid in committing, or to collude in, or allow, any fraud, or make opportunity for the commission of any fraud, on the United States; or (C) being induced to do or omit to do any act in violation of the official duty of such official or person.”

Read more: https://lawandcrime.com/high-profile/house-democrats-introduce-bill-to-outlaw-presidential-self-pardons-criminalize-corrupt-acts-of-clemency/